Mummy-making-wasp
Guides
Aleiodes graphicus
Aleiodes graphicus is a parasitoid wasp species in the family Braconidae, first described by Cresson in 1872. It belongs to the genus Aleiodes, commonly known as "mummy-making wasps" for their habit of mummifying host caterpillars. The species is part of a diverse group of rogadine braconids that parasitize lepidopteran larvae. Like other Aleiodes species, it is presumed to be a koinobiont endoparasitoid, developing inside living hosts before emerging.
Aleiodes pseudoterminalis
Aleiodes pseudoterminalis is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, described by Marsh and Shaw in 2001. The species belongs to the genus Aleiodes, commonly known as mummy-making wasps due to their distinctive life history where parasitized caterpillars become desiccated and mummified. Like other members of this genus, it is presumed to be a koinobiont endoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae, though specific host records for this species have not been documented in the available literature.
Aleiodes scrutator
Aleiodes scrutator is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, subfamily Rogadinae. First described by Thomas Say in 1836, this species belongs to a genus known for 'mummy-making' behavior, where the wasp larva develops inside a caterpillar host and eventually kills it, leaving behind a hardened, mummified remains. Like other Aleiodes species, A. scrutator is a koinobiont endoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae. The species has been documented in North America with a small number of iNaturalist observations, though detailed biological studies specific to this species appear limited in the available literature.